Role: Pastor |
Hi my name is Phil Irvine and I’m the Pastor at Emu Plains Community Baptist Church. My family and I moved all the way from the Blue Mountains and to live in the community here in Emu Plains. Jesus said “I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.” Sometimes we find that our lives are so full with things to do, but we don’t seem to be fulfilled. I enjoy running, spending time with my family, playing Xbox and a good coffee. But what fills my life is Jesus. If you are wanting your life full, the best it can be, why not check out Jesus and take him up on this promise?
Sunday, 02 October 2016
In this passage we see evidence of spirtitual exhaustion - lack of faith, grumbing, bitterness and not listening to God. Following Jesus can be hard as our thoughts and beliefs do not align with the values of this world. We need to grow through the discipline and hardships we face making every effort to live in peace, striving to be holy and living the way Jesus wants us to live. What can you be sure of in your life? As Christians, the only sure thing that we can be certain of is the Kingdom of Heaven and an eternal life with God.
Sunday, 18 September 2016
The writer of Hebrews in this passage is encouraging the early Christians not to give up in their way of life but to continue to persevere in their Christian journey. If we want to be encouraged in our Christian faith, we need to focus on those who have gone before us who served God and how they can be examples for us to follow. We also need to examine our own lives to identify and deal with the things that hamper us from having a proper relationship with Jesus. We need to look to Jesus as the ultimate example to follow as we live our daily lives and to have faith and trust in Him in all that we do.
Sunday, 11 September 2016
Duration: 26 mins 58 secs
True biblical faith is not a "I hope so" type of faith, but as Warren Weirsbe indicated, it is a "confident obedience to God's Word in spite of circumstances and consequences". How does faith work in our life? We hear God's Word, we trust God's Word and then we act on it. Faith is only as good as the object we place our faith in. As Christians, our faith is in God and Jesus Christ. Faith is our foundation - it is the confidence of things hoped for. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see - it enables us to do what other people cannot do.
Sunday, 04 September 2016
Duration: 29 mins 45 secs
When we come to church, we all come with a range of different emotions. This passage brings a word of encouragement to those who follow Jesus. As Christians, we have the confidence to approach God because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, a sacrifice of His own life for our sins. It does not matter what the world throws at us, we have the hope found in Jesus. We need to encourage each other as we continue to meet together. We are warned not to deliberately sin, and in doing so, rejecting Jesus and the Holy Spirit within us. We need to wait patiently on God for the hope of better things to come in spending an eternal life with Him.
Sunday, 28 August 2016
Duration: 30 mins 30 secs
The law of the Old Testament was only a shadow of what was to come with Jesus. The old sacrifices were a constant reminder of the sin of man and were never going to take away the need to carry out more sacrifices as the sin continued. There needed to be a better way - a sacrifice that was once for all time. Jesus has come to do God's will - to give up His life on the cross and establish a new covenant. Whilst living tn this world, we are not perfect - we have sinned and rebelled against God but can be made whole and perfect in the eyes of God because of Jesus' sacrifice. We are all accountable for our sin. We need a Saviour. We need Jesus.
Sunday, 07 August 2016
We are reminded again in this passage that Jesus is the true High Priest who has finished His sacrificial work and now sits on the right hand of God in heaven. For the Jews, being under the old law, their lives centred around the temple where sacrifices were offered to the Lord. But this was only a shadow of what was to come with the old law now superceded by Jesus. Today we now have the new covenant which is all about what God has done for us. Jesus has sacrificed Himself so that we can be saved and be forgiven for our sins.
Sunday, 31 July 2016
Duration: 35 mins 30 secs
What does it mean to have Jesus as our High Priest? The high priest was the person who stood in the gap between human sin and the perfect God, having to offer sacrifices. The old Levitical system was not perfect and needed to change. The people needed the perfect priest - one who was appointed not on the basis of their ancestry, but on the power of an indestructible life. Jesus is the only one who can fulfil this role. Jesus goes guarantor for us, but also paid the price for our sin. Jesus' priesthood is permanent - He is always there to intercede for us. Jesus is the only one who can forgive us of our sins and who can save us completely.
Sunday, 24 July 2016
Duration: 38 mins 31 secs
The writer of Hebrews in this passage warns us as Christians not to drift away from God. We need to make the effort to pay attention in the way we live our life - is it our way or God's way? We need to grow in what God has already given to us. Our eternal life is confirmed because of what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. We need to persevere in God, drawing ourselves back to Him. Our hope is in Jesus because He is our rock, our firm foundation, our refuge and our anchor.
Sunday, 17 July 2016
In the Old Testament, the high priest was appointed to represent the people in matters relating to God and to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. Today, because we are not perfect and cannot come before a perfect God, we have Jesus as our High Priest to represent us before God. We can now approach the throne of God with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Jesus can identify with us, knows us completely and loves us. He will lead us into God's presence. Jesus is the source of our salvation and provides us with practical ways to live our life for Him. Do you need God's grace and mercy?
Sunday, 03 July 2016
Duration: 26 mins 57 secs
This passage encourages us not to fall short of the rest we have in God and the promise of the good news and hope we have in Jesus. God's rest is not found in this world, but it it found in God's word. We need to make every effort to obey and hold firmly to our faith in Jesus. We can approach God with confidence because of the faith and trust we have in Jesus. Is there an area in your life that you have not handed over to Jesus that does not allow you to approach God with confidence?
